Harder than it looked (TWSS)

I tried my first batch of AHS mozzarella kit lastnight. The results, while edible, were not mozzarella.

I don't think i heated the milk properly, after adding the rennet and stirred it for 30 seconds and then it said to bring it up to something like 108 degrees. But I put it back on the stove and the temp just stayed low even as 50% burner, the curds were separating from the whey and the whey was definitely getting very hot but the curds were not, and they were just getting more solid. So I just shut the heat off and let it sit.

Should I have been stiring while it heated up?

Then end results were kind of crumbly and reminiscent of a mozzarella/ricotta hybred. It took a lot of microwaving and draining to get it semi solid as well, I think it was maybe still too runny when I took it out?

Feedback? Should I be stirring while increasing the temp? I'm not done trying by a long shot.

Did you use homogenized milk? If the fats have been homogenized it will affect how the curds form.

It was, but, to my understanding, that is why the AHS kit comes with the calcium chloride which is supposed to have promoted "normal" curd formation.

I tried a second time, this time after adding the rennet I started to heat it up to 105 and while it was heating I slowly stirred with the thermometer so it wouldn't scald and so that the curds would actually heat (last time without heating the curds were ~85 and the whey was ~115). This time the curds never formed into anything solid. At least the first time the curds formed an almost solid "layer" on the top of the pot. I am following the instruction video on the AHS website. Does the type of pot matter that much? all i have is aluminum or teflon.

My understanding is that you don't want aluminum, because of a chemical reaction.

Are you using "ultra pasteurized" milk? If you are, it will never set a curd.

Standard, pasteurized, homogenized grocery store milk. I think the issue is happening after adding the rennet, thats where things seem to go wrong.
Tell me what should be done after adding the rennet, the directions say to heat to 105 but I found that if the therm. was in the curds it would never get to 105, but if it was in the whey it easy got to 105. So to sold the problem i stirred it while heating it to 105 but this produced even worse results with even smaller curd. Although, the straining process went better because I knew what I was doing and I have a usable amount of crumbly "white" cheese to use in a pasta casserole.

If you were having trouble with it scolding, you could just stick it in a water bath. Fill the sink with 115 water, stick the pot in it and let it heat up that way.

Knowquiteawake,
You don't want to use aluminum pots nor teflon coated. Stainless steel, glass or unchipped enamel pots. Aluminum will have a reaction in many cooking processes that aren't helpful.

Stirring the curds after returning them to the store you will break them up and they will lose their moisture and fats and won't properly set. From what I have read some say to stir but very very gently at this point because you want even heating but not to break up the curds. From what I have read the idea of stirring at this point is more so to keep them from sticking to the pot more than anything else.

What worked for me was to cut the curds and to spin the pot a short bit to make sure they don't stick to the pot.

You may want to add calcium chloride tot he mile which helps restore some of the calcium lost during the pasteurizing and homogenizing the milk, but I don't think that is the problem you are having.

Depending on how far the milk traveled that could be an issue as well. Try to fine local milk if you can that is only pasteurized .

But its the stirring and aluminum that I think is the ultimate glitch you have, but I am very very new to this as well.

Good luck!